The present invention relates to joints for fluid control apparatus for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
JP2003-322127A discloses a rectangular parallelepipedal joint of stainless steel for use in fluid control apparatus comprising a plurality of components arranged in a row. The joint is provided on the apparatus installation side of the apparatus component for causing a fluid passage outlet of one of the two apparatus components in each adjacent pair thereof to communicate with a fluid passage inlet of the other apparatus component, for causing an external inlet pipe to communicate with a fluid passage inlet of the apparatus component at one end of the fluid control apparatus, or for causing an external outlet pipe to communicate with a fluid passage outlet of the apparatus component at the other end of the fluid control apparatus.
Although conventionally installed on horizontal surfaces, fluid control apparatus are recently provided on vertical walls of rooms for the effective use of floor space. The fluid flowing through the communication channels of joints is generally highly corrosive, corrosion-resistant stainless steels are generally used for rectangular parallelepipedal joints. However, the stainless steel is heavy and inconvenient to carry, so that the fluid control apparatus to be installed on the vertical wall by one person or two requires an inefficient work.
An object of the present invention is to provide a joint of reduced weight for use in fluid control apparatus which are convenient to transport or carry and which can be installed on vertical walls with a greatly improved work efficiency.